'Asperitas': A New 'Wave-Like' Cloud Recorded In The International Cloud Atlas

The International Cloud Atlas recognized for the first time 12 new kinds of clouds including the distinct "wave-like" asperitas. The Atlas, dated 19th century, is the worldwide reference book for monitoring and identifying clouds and releases images of the new clouds as well as their updated names.

There are 12 new names of clouds that have been added to types of clouds since 1953. One of these is the asperitas, which means "rough-like" in Latin. Asperitas could look like waves at sea when it is perceived below.

Other clouds that have been added to the Atlas are cauda referred to as a tail cloud, cavum, murus known as a wall cloud and fluctus. A new kind has also been added known as volutus or roll-cloud, which is a low horizontal tube-shaped mass that seems to roll on a horizontal axis, according to BBC News.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the one that publishes the Atlas. It is also the one that decides on its contents that include the addition of new clouds and cloud features.

George Anderson, the member of the WMO task team for revision of the International Cloud Atlas, stated that the new official cloud names that are presented to the International Cloud Atlas give the meteorologists all around the world with a common grouping for these cloud features. Experts also said that it is kind of cool that each cloud has a designation, according to Gizmodo.

The new Atlas also identifies weather feature that includes halos, hailstones, rainbow and snow devils. Gavin Pretor-Pinney from the Cloud Appreciation Society said that the Atlas is significant and positive. He further said that the value of the Atlas is that it leads human to the sky.

Moreover, Pretor-Pinney noted that humans pay attention and value what they see around them by learning the name of the formations. "By giving a language to the forms of our atmosphere we are helping people to value our atmosphere and to pay attention our impact on it."